


I look around but it's you I can't replace

by alltoowheeler



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Byeler - Freeform, M/M, Other, Unrequited Crush, but mileven, but not really byeler??, he's hecka gay, he's in love with mike, the snow ball from will's pov, there will be tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 07:18:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13095153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltoowheeler/pseuds/alltoowheeler
Summary: the snow ball from will's pov.





	I look around but it's you I can't replace

“You ready?” Will’s mom asked, smiling at him from the driver’s seat.

“Yeah,” Will said.

“Okay.” She smoothed his hair. “Have fun, sweetie!”

“Bye, Mom,” he said as he got out of the car. He headed up the stairs to the doors, the gym lit up through the windows. Inside was a crowd of loud kids and sparkling decorations underneath a Snow Ball sign. He spotted Jonathan, who had come early with Nancy, adjusting his tripod. Nancy stood at a table serving punch, her hair curled in a huge pile on top of her head.

“Hi, Will,” she smiled as he walked by.

“Hi,” he said, distracted by the loud music and glittering streamers. He didn’t see his friends anywhere.

“I think they’re over there,” Nancy said, pointing towards the back of the room.

“Oh, thanks.” Will made his way around the dancing kids, bumping into half of them, until he got to Mike and Lucas’s table. “Hi guys.” He sat down. They nodded at him, but were obviously preoccupied. He guessed Max and Eleven hadn’t shown up yet. Mike was staring at the ground, tugging at his barely-long-enough jacket sleeves. Will blushed.

Trying not to stare at Mike, he looked across the room and spotted a familiar face… sort of. “Guys. Is that Dustin?”

They watched Dustin strut towards them, his hair slicked back on the sides and piled on top of his head. He stuck out his tongue and spun around for them as they stood up.

“Holy shit, what happened to you?” Mike said. 

“What do you mean, what happened?” Dustin said, offended.

“What?” Mike sputtered. Will realized he was staring at Mike again and looked away.

“Dude, your hair,” said Max. 

“Is there a bird nesting in there?” Lucas poked Dustin’s hair. Will looked back at Mike, whose eyes sparkled with laughter.

“What do you mean, what’s wrong– there’s no bird nesting in here, asshole, okay? I worked hard.” Dustin said indignantly. Will tried not to laugh.

Lucas turned to Max as a slow song started. “Max… hey. Um, it’s nice, right?” he stammered. “Wanna, um, like, you know, like, just… you and me?” Will met Mike’s eyes and they almost burst out laughing. 

“Are you trying to ask me to dance, stalker?” Max laughed. 

“No, of course not. Unless… you want to?”

“So smooth. Come on.” Max dragged Lucas onto the dance floor as Dustin’s face crumbled. Mike glanced at Will and shrugged. They looked at Dustin, who was staring at Max.

“Hey, Zombie Boy.” A girl appeared next to them. Will jumped. “Do you wanna dance?”

“Um–” Will’s heart raced. He panicked, looking at Mike, hoping for the impossible, that maybe Mike would understand. “I don’t–” He would never understand. “I–” Everything was happening too fast. “I mean–” Will didn’t want to dance with this girl. He wanted to dance with the boy standing in front of him. “I mean–” I want to dance with you.

Mike nodded encouragingly at him, mouthing “go on”. Will’s heart sank. 

He looked back at the girl. “Yeah, sure.” They walked out to the middle of the room and started dancing stiffly, Will’s hands barely touching her waist. Cyndi Lauper played loudly over the awkward silence.

“You’re Will, right?” she asked. 

“Yeah,” he said, smiling uncomfortably.

“I’m Stephanie,” he heard her say as he looked around the room. Dustin was approaching a group of girls with Stacey Davidson at the center. He shook his head. 

The song ended. “Let’s go get some punch,” Stephanie said. She grabbed his hand, seeming determined to keep him with her.

Will smiled when he heard the opening notes of Every Breath You Take as they stood in line. Jonathan had played this song in the car as they drove countless times. Will looked around for Mike and saw him staring out at the door. 

Eleven. 

He watched them walk towards each other, watched Mike look at her like she was the only thing in the world. His stomach twisted. They held hands and walked out to the dance floor, looking so perfect. So in love. He felt sick. 

“Come on,” Stephanie said, pulling him away to dance again. He followed her reluctantly, passing Nancy and Dustin dancing together. Stephanie placed her arms around his neck assertively and they swayed along with the hundreds of other kids. 

Will scrunched up his face. “What’s wrong?” Stephanie asked.

“Um, nothing, just a headache,” Will said, trying to smile. He glanced towards Mike and Eleven and immediately wished he hadn’t. They were pulling apart from a kiss, obviously lost in each other. He’d known Mike long enough to notice that.

“Um, actually, I don’t feel great. I’m gonna go to the restroom,” he said to Stephanie, his throat closing up. He pushed past several couples towards the bathroom, tears escaping from his eyes. 

Not watching where he was going, he slammed into a tall someone. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Jonathan’s voice asked. 

Will didn’t look at him. “Nothing.” 

“Hey.” Jonathan brushed Will’s hair out of his eyes. “Come outside with me, okay?”

They walked out the back door of the gym and sat on the edge of the parking lot, Jonathan’s arm around Will’s shoulder. “Is it something you can talk about?” Jonathan said.

Will shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

“Are you having episodes again?”

“No! No. It’s not…” he squeezed his eyes shut. “It’s just everything.”

Jonathan nodded. “If it’s ever anything you can talk to me about… I’m here. You know that, right?”

Will looked out at the street and wiped his nose. “Yeah.” He leaned into Jonathan. “Thanks.”

They sat there listening to the muffled music from inside. Will sighed shakily. A tear slid down his face as a streetlight flickered across the street. 

He had loved Mike Wheeler since they were in kindergarten. He’d always hoped that maybe, somehow, Mike would someday feel the same way. Then the Demogorgon had taken Will, and when he got back, he had lost Mike. Mike had Eleven now. Will shivered as he remembered what Mike had said to him a month before.

If we’re both going crazy, then we’ll go crazy together, right?

Wrong.

Mike had Eleven now. He didn’t need Will anymore.

And Will could never tell Mike how much he needed him.


End file.
